Proposed Committee Bill HEC 19-02 – Relating to Postsecondary Workforce Education

On Wednesday, March 13, PCB HEC 19-02, sponsored and heard by the House Higher Education & Career Readiness Subcommittee, was reported favorably with 15 yeas and 0 nays. AIF’s Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs, Brewster Bevis, stood in support of this legislation.

This bill promotes apprenticeships, enhances talent development, and increases career opportunities for Floridians by:

• Creating the “Strengthening Alignment between Industry and Learning (SAIL) to 60” Initiative and establishing a statewide attainment goal to increase the percentage of working-age adults who hold a high-value postsecondary certificate, degree, or training experience to 60 percent by the year 2030;
• Requiring the Florida Talent Development Council (formerly Higher Education Coordinating Council) to develop a strategic plan for talent development in Florida;
• Creating the Florida Apprenticeship Grant Program to provide competitive grants to career centers, charter technical career centers, Florida College System institutions, and other entities authorized to sponsor apprenticeship programs;
• Requiring the statewide articulation agreement to provide for a reverse transfer agreement for FCS associate in arts degree-seeking students who transfer to a state university prior to earning their associate in arts degree.

AIF supports legislation to improve and fund the organic talent pipeline and to create a strategy for talent development in Florida.